Mayana Kollai

Mayana Kollai
Goddess Kali disguise at Mayana Kollai festival
Observed by	Shaktism Hindus
Date	Decided by the Hindu calendar
Frequency	Annual

Mayana Kollai is a festival celebrated after Shivaratri on the first full moon day of February at the Angala Parameswari temples in Tamil Nadu, India. It is widely celebrated as Angala Parameswari Amman is the deity worshiped by the followers of Goddess Shakti in the form of Goddess MahaKali. Shakti, the formless goddess associated with creation itself was reborn as Parvati. This was when Sandobi and Sundaran, two demons, terrorized the gods and men. Brahma, the Creator god performed yagna for protection against the demons. Out of this yagna Tilottam, an apsara (a being of divine beauty) appeared. Attracted by her beauty, the demons and Brahma started following her. She consequently sought refuge in kailash abode of Lord Shiva, where Brahma followed her. Brahma, like Shiva, had five heads. This was the reason why Parvati mistook him for her husband and fell at his feet in an act of submission. Angered by this, Shiva in the form of rudra beheaded the fifth head of Brahma and thus invoked a curse upon himself; the curse enabled the head to remain attached to his right hand and did not allow him to eat. The head (Kabala) was consuming all the available food instead of Shiva himself. He became a mendicant and roamed Earth begging and for food, sleeping in graveyards.

Parvathi pleaded with her brother, the protector god Vishnu, for a solution. He came up with the idea to trick Brahma's head and told his sister this "My dear sister, go to Thandakarunyam graveyard with your husband and make a pond there named "Agni kula theertham" and prepare a tasty food made by Agathi keerai (Hummingbird tree leaves) and blood of chicken and serve that food to kabala and then throw the food everywhere in the graveyard. The kabala will come down, leaving Shiva's hand, to eat the food. Then take your husband to the pond and clean him with that water so that it will not catch your husbands hand. Parvathi follows her brother's instruction and frees kabala from her husband. Since he was sanctified by the water of the pond, it could not approach him and in turn got attached to Parvathi. Parvathi amassing powers of sakthi in a cosmic dance later destroys kabala by sheer scale and ferocity by brushing under her right foot. This fierce form is called Angara Rubam and she herself was later named to be Angalaamman. The temple in Kaveripattinam is dedicated in memory of this form of Parvathi, a form where a "devout wife of god flails an evil obsessed head of a god" and relieves her husband from his curse.

History

Mayana Kollai is a traditional folk dance originating from the Tamil Nadu region of India, characterized by its vibrant costumes and rhythmic movements. Dating back centuries, it has remained an integral part of Tamil cultural celebrations, often performed during festivals and special occasions.